Feeling Festive

We're over a week into December now, so I think it's perfectly acceptable to start getting excited for Christmas. And the best way to get in that delirious festive spirit?! Christmas themed baking, obviously!

Melted snowmen cookies

I can't get over how happy a marshmallow looks

I think he's grumpy about my rather shoddy icing skills

My sister made some cakes and got her hands on spare marshmallows and this happened

Whenever I go anywhere near our kitchen to make food (as opposed to finding and eating it), you can guarantee something will go wrong. There were a plethora of issues whilst making my melted snowmen, but I got there in the end, and I'm quite happy with the result. I'm definitely feeling a lot more Christmassy than I was before, although that isn't necessarily a good thing, knowing me.

I originally saw a picture of these little cookies on Pinterest, and I've been set on making my own batch ever since. Today, my dreams came true, and they taste pretty sweet. Har har. Or should I say 'Ho Ho Ho'? 

I need to stop.

A Trip to Edinburgh

My family and I seem to be pretty good at going on impromptu days out up and down the country. Today, we ended up in a very busy Edinburgh.

This was away from Princes Street, which is where the market was, so it was practically dead

Scottish Santa

The Scott Monument

Walking through the Christmas Market

You can't really see here, but there was literally a wall of people right the way down Princes Street

A man dressed up as Alien

A view of the market from the Monument

There was a small London Eye type thing next to the Monument, and an ice rink

A very high up ride in St Andrews Square

And finally, Christmas shopping in Jenners. Very sparkly.

It was a really nice day out overall, albeit rather cold. The Scott Monument was particularly blustery, but running up the steps trying to avoid people was good fun. I had to sit down for a while afterwards, though. The Christmas Market smelt and looked amazing, although we didn't get a chance to buy anything as we were swept along with the crowd, and it was a big crowd. Princes Street was manic; I was clinging onto my dad for dear life. It was like sardines, but with people.

One Direction: Midnight Memories Review (sort of)

The long awaited 3rd album from One Direction was released on Monday, and I think it’s safe to say it’s gone down a storm. The entire album was leaked a week or so before its release, but I stuck to my motto of ‘delayed gratification' and waited until the 25th to listen to the songs. It's quite literally like Christmas come a month early for me, and I was not disappointed in the least. I know that may sound biased, but the album on a whole is a very strong record with a large variety of tracks and lyrics. There’s a common theme of catchy riffs and choruses, but all 18 tracks each bring something special Midnight Memories.

Considering the majority of the songs were recorded whilst on a world tour, they’ve done a pretty good job of it. The boys have also done a lot more writing for the album, with some help from McFly and songwriters from their previous albums.

The first track is Best Song Ever, which was also the first single to come from the LP, followed by Story of My Life, the second single. The two tunes are basically the inverse of each other, but both are equally as good, and memorable. I think my personal favorite song is Happily, closely followed by Don’t Forget Where You Belong. Strong and You and I are other popular ones, but there definitely isn’t a weaker song. Like I said before, they each bring something different to the album as a whole, and the end result is pretty darn good.

One Direction have definitely done a lot of growing up since the X Factor in 2010, and this album is solid proof of that. There is a stark contrast between their first album and this one. The boys themselves described it as much grungier, and I think I agree with them. Some songs are pretty rocky, with heavy electric guitar and drums, and others are little more than an acoustic guitar accompanying the vocals. Some songs are about heartbreak, and others are about… well, Midnight Memories. What can you say; they’re boys.

All of the tracks have got me singing along to the chorus after only 1 or 2 listens, and they definitely stick in your head. I’ve even taken up a few lines as mantras for this week of mock exams, and I’ve received a few pissed off glares from my ‘neighbours’, tapping out the drums on the exam desk. Oops.

The lyrics aren’t complicated and you don’t have to be smart to understand them, like some other artists’ lyrics, but they’re good fun, and they’re relatable and if I carry on I’ll sound like I’m plugging their album. Which I’m not. I just really like it, genuinely, honestly and seriously.

Catching Fire Review

Ever since seeing the first film, I have been patiently waiting for Catching Fire to be released. Many people think sequels are never as good as the original film, as the sequel is often a disappointment. Catching Fire was the polar opposite of a disappointment. The second film was definitely as good as The Hunger Games, if not better. The plot was true to the book, which I always like to see in films like this, especially when they quote verbatim from the book. There’s one scene near the beginning where Katniss wakes Haymitch up by pouring water over his head, and the following dialogue is literally copied out of the book. Suzanna Collins, the author of the trilogy, had some input in the writing of both the films, but they each had a different director. Catching Fire was directed by Francis Lawrence, who is also directing the final two films. I googled him, and the only other titles I recognised was Water For Elephants and a Britney Spears music video.

Despite his genre inconsistency, I thought he did a really good job of Catching Fire. There were a lot of close up, personal shots, contrasted with big sweeping panoramas of District 12 and the arena itself. There were also a few shots I’ve never seen in a film before; Caesar Flickerman, a TV presenter within the film, was talking into the camera, as though you were watching his TV programme, rather than a film. Some of the other characters did it too, whilst Caesar was interviewing them, which was a bit disconcerting. It’s rather odd having characters in a fictional story talking directly to you rather than to each other. Whilst on Caesars show, one of the Tributes swore during her interview, which was bleeped out. Going with the TV element again, it was something I’ve never seen done before in a film; they never dub the words out, as they’re part of the script. It was interesting, to say the least.

I’ve always thought the soundtrack for films is super important, as the music can make or break the film.  The underscore throughout Catching Fire works really effectively. In the poison fog scene, as Katniss first notices it, it’s deadly silent, adding to the ghostliness and eeriness of it. Then, in pretty much all the running away scenes, there’s an explosion of drums and tension, giving the audience a real sense of the atmosphere at every moment in the film. I particularly like the drums whilst the Tributes are in their chariots, riding down to the President’s Circle. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t seen the film, which I thoroughly recommend you do.

There are also plenty of tear-jerking moments that made my vision blur. Some of them I knew were going to pull at my heart, having read the books, but I cried at Effie. Twice. That was unexpected. Prim, Katniss’s sister, screaming after her when Katniss is taken to the games once again, made my heart break, and Katniss stepping in front of the whip for Gale, then Peeta doing the same for Katniss was heart wrenching too.  It’s a very emotional film, and brilliantly put together, although the books are written with amazing skill, so Francis Lawrence had a bit of a head start.

I did feel like the ending was a little rushed, and not explained as well as it is in the book, or acted as well either, but the rest of the film was so full on and fast paced, there was bound to be a little grey area somewhere. Catching Fire was definitely one of the best films I’ve seen in a long while, and the Blu-Ray shall be being purchased.

I found a clip of the drums I was talking about here

Vampire Weekend Setlist

I found a set list for the Vampire Weekend concerts, and I've had a listen to the songs I'm not familiar with. Not a massive fan of 'Walcott', although it did make me laugh a little. But, other than Walcott, I think I prefer their older songs!

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/vampire-weekend/2013/phones-4u-arena-manchester-england-43c4f7db.html

An Inspector Calls

I wanted to write this review, because An Inspector Calls has really made me think about many different things, which are all interlinked with one another. The play has made me think about its themes, in essence; responsibility in particular, and morality. Some people are much more willing to take responsibility for their actions than others, who’ll do anything to shift the negative attention off them. Mr Birling kind of reminds me of a naughty school boy, who knows he’s done something wrong but is determined not to take the blame, even frame someone else if possible. ‘He did it, miss!’

Sheila, however, is the complete opposite. She’s much more self-aware, as well as being mindful of those around her. She clues on to the Inspector pretty quickly, realising that he already knows everything he needs to know. In this respect, she’s probably the most favourable of all the Birling’s, in my opinion. She still did something wrong, but she recognises this, unlike her elders.

Mrs Birling is one of the most despicable characters, I think, because of her lack of humanity, basically. Turning down a pregnant Eva, who’s at her lowest point in the plot, with no sense of remorse? Would Sybil have done the same if she’d known the child was Eric’s? Probably not.

Eric and Gerald both committed crimes of a similar nature, although they had rather different outcomes. Gerald led Eva on, knowing full well she had nowhere to go to as he knew the majority of her story, then proceeded to leave her. Part of me thinks he’s only sorry because he got caught by his ex-fiancée, not because he did it. Eric, however, came to Eva at the end of a drunken night, and met up a few times after this, giving her money that wasn’t his, ultimately driving Eva to Mrs Birling.

I think the story is very well planned out and written, and teaches the audience a valuable lesson. Whilst reading the play, I couldn’t help but think ‘How can 5 people all be involved with one individual, all at the same time, more or less?’ It seemed very unlikely, even for a fictional text. So when Gerald comes back in to save the day, and the Birling’s and Gerald collectively disprove the Inspectors case against them, uncovering the fact he wasn’t an Inspector at all, I was like ‘I knew it! I knew it all along!’

So when the phone rang, rather ominously, I experienced a ‘pride before a fall’ moment, just like we had discussed in class, concerning Mr Birling. The story came full circle, with two rather unexpected twists in quick succession. I find it fascinating that the case against the Birling’s involvement with Eva could be either completely false, or completely true.

An Inspector Calls does teach us a rather important life lesson, and it could be interpreted in many different ways. I think that J. B. Priestly is trying to teach the audience to beware of how even your most minor actions can affect those around you.

Songs/Artists

Mr Worsley, as a sort of 'thank you' for introducing me to the Dutch Uncles, I'd like to share some music with you in return. There are too many tracks I want to show you, so I've shortlisted my top 3 :)

Diagrams - Black Light
Diagrams are worth googling because they're a group of rotating musicians, I think, or a solo project? Something like that!

San Cisco - Fred Astaire

Kodaline - All I Want

And these are my two favorite Dutch Uncles songs :) 

Dutch Uncles - Fester and Cadenza

Choices

Today, at school, we had a ‘What To Expect Next’ morning, where we rotated round the Project Room, the library, the New Hall and Rooms 13/14. Each room had a different aspect of being in the Sixth Form, and most of it was really awkward, talking to sixth formers who perhaps didn’t really want to be there.

Some were more helpful than others, telling us what some of the most important traits are in a sixth former; things like being passionate and organised, and self-disciplined. I’ve never really seriously thought about what Sixth Form might be like, but I have a much better idea now.

At the end of the morning, after some cake and tea, we were given the Sixth Form prospectuses and a time table for the list of talks being given about all the different subjects you can do at A Level. The English talk was scheduled today as well, so I toddled along to that, as I’m pretty set on doing Literature for A Level. Now that I know more about what the Lit course involves, as well as the Language course, I’m sure it’s the right one for me.

But today has really made me think, especially after seeing the entry requirements for all the subjects across the board; pretty much all of them require a bare minimum of a Grade B in that subject at GCSE as well as English Language, despite needing 5 A*-C’s to get into the actual Sixth Form.

With these mocks coming up, it’s made me realise I really need to up my game now if I want to get the results I want come Results Day next year. I just struggle to find motivation to revise and put in the effort, but hopefully this will spur me on a little. I don’t really know what else will.

I feel as though we’re given a billion decisions and choices to make, with little to no idea what the outcome will be, at a very early age. I haven’t even sat a single GCSE exam yet, and I’m being made to decide what A Levels I want to do? I know it’s a long process but it’s kind of like ‘seriousness overload’ for me. I already had mock exams to worry about and the summer exams and now massive A Level decisions to worry about. And I’m good at worrying, believe me.

I realise this is something every student has to go through but when there’s so many things going on at one moment in time, it’s hard to prioritise things and make the right decisions and I guess I wish everthing would slow down a little. I thought this Sixth Form morning was just to to tell us a bit more about the facilities and the topics you cover and what is expected of you etc etc etc. So when we were handed prospectuses and application forms with the deadline at the end of this month, it was a ‘hang on a second’ moment.

I think I’m just panicking. And splurging.

My Day In Pictures (A Trip to Carlisle)

A collection of very interesting photos to illustrate my day!

I woke up

We drove to the train station in Dad's new car ooo

We arrived at the train station

We got on the train

It rained

We went to Nandos...

...and ate some chicken

We went shopping

We went to Starbucks

We went to Lush

We got on the train home, but had to wait for almost an hour for it to leave the station because there was a poorly train further up the tracks

So Dad bought us some mince pies to help us through

I got bored so I opened some water which fizzed everywhere - exciting

We got moving, but had to stop again whilst they moved the dead train off the tracks

When we got home, there was a bit of a storm. Here's some hail stones.

And this is a flash of lightning.

Then I did some homework

Then I watched Strictly.

So that was my Saturday. 

I just fancied doing this 'Through My Eyes' kind of thing. It was quite funny making everyone wait for me so I could take a picture of everything :)

Dutch Uncles

This first thing that strikes me about the Dutch Uncles is the fact there are 5 of them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always found most bands to have 4 members. The Vaccines, for example, and Vampire Weekend or The 1975. However, some of the more famous 5-piece bands include Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones and Judas Priest, all of which are pretty ‘rocky’. There is, of course, *NSYNC and One Direction, but they’re groups, not bands... I just thought I'd add some variety in.

The second thing that strikes me is Duncan Wallis’s incredible dancing. As the lead singer, he’s not trapped behind a drum kit or a guitar, and he definitely makes the most of it. In the videos, if he’s not sat on a piano stool or in a bathtub, he’s busting some pretty interesting moves.

I think my favorite song of theirs is Fester, with the xylophone/marimba hook running through it. Despite the rather vulgar title, the song is very catchy with its simple lyrics. Cadenza is similar in this way, with a simple riff running through it, which is built on with drums and lyrics. I like songs like this, which start with a single sound, then slowly work their way up to the chorus, and continue building up, before gradually declining towards the end.

I think the band is very clever in this way, constructing their music as if the drums, guitars, piano and vocals are like building blocks, shuffling them round until they take the shape they think works best. They've certainly done a good job of it.

Their eponymous first album was released in Germany in 2008, but they returned to the UK in 2010 with The Ink. They have since supported Paramore on their European tour and more recently, Everything Everything on their UK tour. Both bands reside in Manchester, with Everything Everything consisting of 4 members. Some might argue the 2 bands are similar in some ways, as they are both considered to be Indie Pop/Rock and many of their songs are quite individual and incongruous.

In essence, I think the Dutch Uncles are a very accomplished band, and hopefully can only get bigger and better. Thank you, Mr Worsley, for introducing me to them!

Chances

 

Generally, I like to think I’m quite a forgiving person; I can never hold a grudge. I can try, but usually drop the barrier relatively quickly.

Therefore, I think I’m quite a generous person when it comes to forgiving and giving people second (or third or fourth) chances. I can never really bring myself to sort people out if they’re causing me a problem. Either I’m too nice, or I’m a wuss.

There’s a boy who sits behind me in physics, considered by many as a bête noire, who has recently been swiping and touching my back with his pen or his hands, and I really really don’t like being by back being poked and prodded and tickled, especially when I’m not expecting it. So I jerk about, wriggling. I just have a sensitive back. But this, of course, is the reaction the boy is looking for, and so he keeps doing it. It’s really annoying, and every time I tell him to stop, he tells me to go away, except with a few swear words in the mix. Lovely. It has got to the point where I feel uncomfortable with him behind me, and I find myself tensing up and jumping at nothing, I just think he’s poking me. I should do something about it but I just can’t bring myself to do it, for several reasons; I don’t want to cause my teacher a problem, I don’t want to inflict the boy on anyone else, and I’m scared he’ll find another way to rile me up. And I’m a wuss.

I suppose this weakness is also a strength, however, because it means I get along with pretty much everyone, because I manage to hide my aversion - or in some cases, hatred – towards them. I think I’m actually quite a mean person, I just cover it up. That’s really bad, isn’t it?

Anways, after that little tangent…

I should probably start to stand up for myself a little more, as it think it’s something I need to develop if I’m going to get anywhere later on in life; my mum usually wins all my ‘fights’ for me, righting the things I’m too nice to sort out myself. I usually try to discourage her from helping me, in fact.

I was very tempted to draw on this lads head, when he put his head on the desk and went to sleep (whilst we were supposed to be working) but I decided against it. I don’t want to give him a reason to carry on making me uncomfortable. I’m just lily-livered, I suppose.

This was a rather odd article, I think, and I don’t think it reads too well. But I’ve written it now, and I don’t want to just delete it!

Modern Vampires of the City Review

 Mr Worsley, I gladly accept your challenge of writing an album review :)

Modern Vampires of the City is the only Vampire Weekend record I own, but I am thoroughly convinced I spent my money wisely. No regrets, as they say.

I really like Vampire Weekends general style; there’s something that I’ve noticed in all three albums that makes them stand apart from other popular music, that can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s because their songs aren’t ‘dance anthems’, or the fact that the lyrics hold more than going to parties and meeting girls in clubs? In turn, it could be that they’re a proper band, and the music isn’t just synthesised on a computer? Actually, I think it’s a combination of these factors. I really love some of Vampire Weekends older songs, like Horchata, Cousins and Oxford Comma.

But, they’re new record is just as good, I think. In some aspects, a few songs are comical, whilst others have historical and cultural elements weaved into the lyrics. Others have gloomier values, like Diane Young or ‘Dying Young’. Hannah Hunt is just plain weird. I think this variation within the album really brings something to it, so you never get bored, for want of a better word, despite the similarity of the actual music. That probably made no sense.

The vocals, from Ezra Koenig, are also (obviously) extremely important, and I think since their last album, his voice has noticeably developed and grown, and he sounds great on MVOTC, and the backing music supports his voice really well. His lyrics do tend to be somewhat ambiguous and obscure, but the overall quality of the music make up for the lack of understanding I have. I’m being honest here!

This was much harder to write than I initially anticipated, but I stuck to it and persevered, and this is what I ended up with :)

Rush Review

I've heard a few good words about Rush, but I didn't really think it was my kind of film; it's based on the true story of the relations between two 1970's Formula 1 drivers. So, why did I go and see it? Because I spend too much time at home, Hannah suggested we see it as a last resort, and because Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) was playing one of the lead roles. That sort of swung it for me.

Chris Hemsworth is actually Australian, but usually puts on an American accent or speaks like a Norse god, depending on the film. But for this film, he was, of course, playing James Hunt, a very British racing driver. So, it took me a little while to get my head around Thor suddenly being British, especially as he still had the long blonde hair going on. But, I got over it, so it's okay.

I didn't realise until I saw his name in the end credits, but Hans Zimmer was responsible for the music, which made me happy. I've always liked Hans Zimmer for some reason, even though I don't even know what he looks like. He's just good at being responsible for the music. Especially in Batman. Why do I keep talking about modern day superhero movies instead of 1970's Formula 1 movies? Sorry.

The film had a bit of everything, which I like to see in films; romance (if you consider promiscuity to be romance, although both drivers got married in the film), action, humour and a little gore. I've never really been one for gory movies; I can handle it, but if I don't have to, I prefer not to. The gore, being unexpected was not my favorite part, but I survived. Hannah did too, but only just. It really made me think about the consequences of race driving, and how every time the drivers get into their cars, "there's a 20% chance they won't survive the race".

On the whole, I thought the film was really well directed, so commendations to Mr Ron Howard. The shots filmed from inside the helmet, focussing on the eye movements of the respective driver were very simple, but really effective. I'm probably the only one who thought so, but I found the clips pretty unnerving. Also, I really liked how they would show the engine of the cars whilst they were racing as well; shots of the pistons moving overlaid with clips of fire from the exhaust looked fantastic on the big screen. Just little things like that really made the film.

The movie really made me think about winning and losing and how it means different things to different people. There’s a pretty moving scene in the final championship race when Niki Lauda gets out of the car and quits, because to him, risking your life to win, isn't winning. So whilst, Hunt carries on to win the race, risking his life in the dreadful conditions, Lauda is with his wife. That made me think; what would I risk to win something like that? A world championship? Different people go to different levels, and that’s something I've never really considered before.

Sometimes it's good to watch something you wouldn't normally watch, or read a book you wouldn't normally read; you might learn something new, or take up interest in something you've never really bothered with. I always change the channel when Formula 1 comes on TV; watching cars go round in circles at high speed isn’t something that routinely interests me. But now that I have a different outlook on the ‘sport’, I might just give it a second chance.



A/N: I wrote this Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon the Singapore Grand Prix was on BBC2. So I watched it. And to my intense surprise I actually quite enjoyed it. I didn't watch the whole race, I just caught the last 10 laps, although I think watching all 61 laps would have bored me. 

Lost Generation

“I said I'm living in a lost generation”

This article is inspired by two very different music videos; Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks, and Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. Despite being almost polar opposites, they both made me think about the same thing; what sort of world am I growing up into?

The world will never be perfect, I understand that, but it could be a damn sight better than it is right now.

The Rizzle Kicks song speculates about growing up in a generation where people’s lives are broadcast for anyone and everyone to see, with shows like Big Brother, Keeping up with the Kardashians and Jeremy Kyle becoming more and more popular, at other peoples expense. This is an issue in itself; we seem to be wasting our lives being obsessed with other peoples. It’s not a massive problem right now, but further down the line in 10, maybe 20 years’ time, will we be immersed 24/7 in everyone else’s daily qualms and  conflicts? I think it’s safe to say it’s a foregone conclusion.

And the Miley Cyrus thing? The video worries me deeply, for far too many reasons. I understand she is wanting to lose the Disney image, but she is setting seriously low standards for herself, and the realm of music videos. When someone else comes out with a video that is inappropriate and risqué, people will undoubtedly compare it to the Wrecking Ball video, and dismiss it as ‘okay’ because it’s ‘not as bad as that Wrecking Ball video’. I can really see that happening. For example, let’s say, someone like Rihanna releases a video featuring herself topless or something, that a few years ago would have be shocking and deemed deplorable, would be seen as tolerable, because there is a video prior to it that is far worse. See what I mean? It’s at this point that my mind turns to the innocent babies and toddlers that know oh so little about the increasingly disgraceful media. They will surely grow up believing flaunting themselves about is a done thing, and that there isn’t a problem with it?

I feel as though moral standards are dropping dangerously low with each passing day, and I wish there was something I could do about it. Whether it’s a crude music video, or a crass TV show, it’s almost like they’re brainwashing us into thinking they’re okay, they’re normal and they’re acceptable, when the majority of the time they are doing no good for ‘society’. I know times are changing, and we’re not going to sit around listening to BBC Radio 4 for the rest of eternity, but there must be better, more productive things to do with our time?

This was a rather rant-ish article, but I really couldn’t help it, as this has been bugging me for a while. I just think we should be more conscious of what we’re watching on a regular basis, and how it’s affecting us now, and how it will affect us later on in life, or in the next few generations.

Something to think/worry about, eh?

Canada!

The flight from Heathrow to Vancouver International was fantastic; no dreaded screaming babies, friendly flight attendants and delicious food. Vancouver it's self was amazing; I kept comparing the city to London, especially when we caught the Skytrain after getting the bus there from the B&B (which did incredible breakfast, by the way). The Skytrain is basically a partially overground, partially underground mini train, which had no driver. The whole thing felt like a roller coaster, being able to see out of the front. The views whilst overground were beautiful, unlike the overground parts of the London Underground trains. Even whilst underground, it was better than London's tube trains; the tunnel was lit and had a small platform to one side throughout the journey, with lit up exit signs every now and then. You don't get that on the London Underground. Besides that, everyone was super friendly, especially the tourist guide who approached us after spotting us looking at the map. The whole city was really modern looking and sparkling clean, there were hardly any old buildings, unlike the UK, where most of our building are older than us.

Vancouver (my photo)

 We also did the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which was great; there was a free shuttle bus from Central Vancouver to the attraction, driving up through Stanley Park. The trees were insanely tall, and there was a cliff walk, where you followed the boardwalk, which was held up by metal rods, round the edges of the cliff.

The main feature of the cliff walk, with the suspension bridge in the background.

After a day in Vancouver, we got a ferry over to Vancouver Island the next morning, to meet Ruth, my mum's cousin who we would be staying with for the rest of our holiday. She lives near Victoria, one of the bigger cities on Van Isle .Victoria is a really nice harbour city, where me and Dad went on a sea plane tour (Sarah and mum were too scared, and Ruth was working) which was really cool and interesting. We also went whale watching on a Zodiac, which are basically speedboats. It was an experience but not the one i was expecting! We saw some Harbour Seals, but no whales. I was sat up at the front, where you get jerked around the most, but still got pretty splashed. Mum, Dad and Sarah sat at the back and got absolutely soaked. 'And expensive way to get wet' as Dad put it.

A Zodiac Boat

During the holiday, we drove up island to Beach Acres Resort, near Parksville, where we stayed a few nights, visiting Tofino and Ucluelet (on the eastern side of the island) whilst we were there. There were lots of deer around, as forest surrounded the resort. We got back from Tofino to find 2 deer and a family of racoons behind the house in the woodland. I very proudly managed to record the raccoons coming through the fence!

On the way to Parksville

Tofino and Ucluelet are about an 1.5 hour drive from Parksville, but it was a beautiful drive up, with hills, lakes, trees and waterfalls galore. We didn't see much of Tofino itself, but we stayed in a motel in Ucluelet. We went to Long Beach and looked out at the Pacific. These were the two days when it rained, and the beach was really foggy and misty and part of Twilight was supposedly filmed there. We luckily managed to see the backs of some humpback whales from the shore, and could see them blowing from their blow holes as well.

We also visited Coombs whilst staying at Beach Acres, a small 'Western' town, made up to look very cowboy style. There was a big indoor market kind of shop called 'Goats on Roof'. Why? Because there were real goats on the roof.

So, overall, the trip to Canada was amazing, and I loved every minute of it, and being this jet lagged it completely worth it.

I even made a video I liked it so much, so you can watch that here :)

Expectations

This morning, when I hauled myself out of my bed, I did not envision myself spending my afternoon in A&E. But, none the less, that is what happened.

I wanted to write an article on expectations, partially due to my second Duke of Edinburgh expedition this past weekend, after it went better than I expected it would, but I wanted to write this mostly because of today’s lovely experience.

You would expect that school staff would be prepared to deal with any fairly common injuries within schools, and know how to best treat them. However, today I found this is not the case.

 I was bitten by a tick, almost definitely on the school field, and found it buried in my arm this lunch time. I went to reception, not really sure how to treat it. I showed them the bug, and was questioned as to whether it actually was a tick. It had legs on it; I’m pretty sure it was. I was then told to remove the tick myself with some used eyebrow tweezers. I definitely was not expecting this. In hindsight, I probably should have objected, but when a supposed figure of authority tells you to do something, you normally do it, even if the action is questionable. Well, I do anyway.

Once the tick was not-so-successfully removed, the reception staff then proceeded to debate on the quizzical topic of whether I should be given an antiseptic cream or antiseptic wipe. They decided on a wipe. I was then told to come back if there was any swelling. Cheers.

I left, not really convinced about my make-do treatment. I was expecting that the staff would know how to remove the tick properly, not just guess that tweezers were the best implement to use. But, on later closer inspection, I realised the head and pincers of the tick were still in the wound. A few texts with my mum later, I was back at reception, this time signing out to go to A&E to be treated properly.

I am angry and disappointed with myself for accepting the treatment when my gut was telling me something wasn't quite right, but I’m also less than satisfied with the staff after the whole ordeal. Like I said before, I really was not expecting to end up lying on a hospital bed enduring minor surgery when I woke up this morning. But I also expected the school staff to have dealt with the seemingly small problem a lot better than they did. It may just be me, and my mother, but I definitely think that staff responsible for treating students should know how to treat something that is actually relatively simple. I’m not expecting them to fix broken bones, but ticks are supposed to be easily treatable, with the correct equipment. But I now have a hole in my arm.

I realise this article has a very sarcastic and 'ranty' tone to it, but I felt something needed to be said.

Education

One of my biggest pet peeves in life, is when people throw away opportunities that so many less fortunate people can only dream about, without so much as a second thought. 

Education is everything in life, and I feel like so many people in school don't appreciate that, or even realize that. Whenever I see a student being ungrateful or rude or disrespectful, my mind always flashes to underprivileged children in third world countries, who don't have a right to education like we do here in England. I know for a fact that thousands if not millions of children would give anything to have a place in a school, because they know it can take them places. The sky's the limit.

I probably don't appreciate school as much as I should. Of course, there are lessons I dislike and wish I didn't have to do, but I don't make a nuisance of myself for staff just because there are other things I would rather do, like so many kids in my lessons do.

I want to do well in school, I want to try my hardest and see where it gets me. My aim in life is to enjoy a stable job with a happy family surrounding me. I still don't really know what I want to do for a living, but I only recently turned 15. It's not something I really have to worry about just yet. But I definitely want to get my A Levels and then hopefully move onto a good university, and I just wish more people would set themselves goals in life, and work towards them, rather than wasting their time (and other peoples) in school, not putting any effort in.

I think something really needs to be done about the people who don't try at school. It really gets on my nerves how, on a day to day basis, these people would rather play fight and throw objects at each other than buckle down and try. Call me a goodie two shoes, but the reason we go to school is to get an education, in order to get the job we want, and effectively the life we want later on.

Yes, I do switch off in lessons sometimes, and day dream or laugh with my friends, but I know when to stop, unlike some of the boys in my year, who never seem to understand the word 'stop'. Maybe these little rascals should be shipped of to Africa in exchange for some genuinely grateful children who would otherwise be without education.

Someone once told me 'You get the grades you deserve'. I think this is entirely true.



I don't really know where I was going with this article; it came out as more of a rant, which wasn't supposed to happen. I just felt like updating, so I did :)

Journalism

Over the past 6 months, I’ve definitely learnt a lot about myself and my skills as a writer. At the start, I didn’t really want to set myself too many goals, as I wasn’t sure what I would be capable of, and what would be easier said than done.

I’ve really enjoyed my hour a week, writing about things that affect me in all sorts of ways; things that make me happy, things that make me sad, things that confuse me, my experiences and anything else on my mind. My last article was particularly fun; I just hope I don’t get into trouble for writing about teachers. I think I demonstrated self-control fairly well, however; it took a lot of will power not to be rude and us expletives all the way through.

But I think I have definitely developed my writing skills. I do prefer writing creatively and fictionally, creating my own characters and setting my own scenes, but I have learnt a lot about writing more ‘professionally’. I don’t think any of my articles would be suitable for publishing or anything; there’s far too much sarcasm, and there’s not really much content than real newspapers or magazines would use. But either way, it was challenging for me to not turn my articles into informal babbling; I did try to steer my work towards the more formal sides of things, but I don’t think I did too well.

I’m doing it again, aren’t I?

After these 6 months, I think I can safely say I know what works well for me and what doesn’t when I’m writing. I don’t really bother giving myself a set structure for my writing, because otherwise I’ll feel like I haven’t lived up to my own expectations, regardless of the quality of the piece, and I won’t be fully happy with it.

I think, for me, it’s a good idea to just go wherever my thoughts take me, rather than outlining exactly what I’m going to write about before starting. This is why I’ve always kind of generalised my titles, so I don’t really have to confine myself to specific topics or areas within a topic. Although, this is supposed to be a review of my 6 months (I think) and so far it’s kind of worked out.

I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to set up my own blog, and write essentially whatever I want, and have been supported by so many people, when I wasn’t really expecting to go anywhere with it, or tell anyone about it. Now, a few of my friends read it from time to time, and looking at the stats for the views of my blog, there appears to be a large Russian audience. I’m not sure how accurate this is, however. But, I’ve done about 50 posts and gotten nearly 5x as many views. It’s not many, but I thought it would get about 3 views.

I’m definitely going to keep the blog, and maybe update it now and then if I feel like it, or have something to write about. I really want to thank everyone who has ever read my blog, and especially thank you, Mr Worsley, for reading it for 6 months as well! I really appreciate it.

I think I’ll do 1 more week, just to be on the safe side of how long I have to do my skills section, and then sign this section off.

:)

Teachers

“Teachers these days seem to care more about what students look like than our education”

I definitely agree with this. It’s almost a fact. It’s not all teachers, so I don’t want to label everyone, but it seems to me like teachers aren’t really doing what they’re paid to be doing; teaching us.

I don’t really want to name and shame, but it thinks it’s a common opinion coming from students. I’ve noticed some teachers just hand us text books, for us to copy out and answer questions in Maths for example, or in other lessons such as Chemistry, the substitute teacher teaches us nothing, instead making us copy out of text books and off PowerPoints.

Maths, for me, is the worst. It’s not exactly my strong suit, and the fact our teacher doesn’t show us how to do half the calculations and workings out in the first place really does not help. If we’re lucky, we’re shown the basics, but then expected to know the A/A* stuff already? I think that’s kind of missing the point of teachers teaching and students learning. The clue is in the job title.

It really annoys me though; teachers get paid to help us learn things, and some just aren’t doing that. Instead, they let the books do it for them, so they can sit at their desk and drink coffee. When it comes to maths, I definitely need someone to tell me how to do the workings out; in some subjects its more logic based and I can get there eventually, but usually in maths, I’m rendered very stuck indeed without help.

I understand teachers can’t stand up at the front for hours on end, lecturing students on their various subject area, but they shouldn’t just give us PowerPoints and books all the time either, right?

I know teaching isn’t the easiest job in the world, and I am aware not all students are very cooperative and well behaved at the best of times, (believe me, I’m fed up of half of my year) but I think, considering it’s what they’re trained to do, some teachers should up their game and get themselves sorted because it’s beyond a joke now.

It may have been alright at the start of the year when we didn’t really have to do that much work and we could just go at our own pace or whatever, but now, our GCSE’s are just around the corner and we really need to know this stuff. It’s not acceptable for these teachers to just sit on their laptops for an hour whilst we practically teach ourselves. This is our education and it sets us up for life. If teachers make a mess of it now, there’s not a lot we can do about it.

I think this is pretty serious and really unacceptable. I hope I’m not the only one who has noticed this, or is even bothered about it, but I think something definitely needs to be done about these teachers. Just what, I don’t know.

Daytime Television

During the holidays, daytime TV is something most people have to deal with, unless you’re insanely busy or lucky enough to spend time away in a ridiculously sunny country.

I, for one, am not one of those people.

I haven’t exactly been given a generous array of wonderful activities to do over the holidays; they have mostly consisted of revision, homework, sleep, Tumblr, Twitter, and of course, television.

The quality of daytime TV is, in one word, dreadful. More often than not, it’s unbelievably repetitive and dull, and nothing productive ever comes out of it. Unless you like cooking lunch with Gino and Mel.

I have found myself zonked out on the sofa, watching endless repeats of Top Gear on Dave almost every day. If it’s not on the main channel, it’s bound to be on the +1 channel. I don’t mind Top Gear; I actually quite enjoy watching the 3 idiots. But when you know there’s nothing else on to watch, like you’re stuck with it, I think it makes it less enjoyable. This is especially so when you know the words to a few episodes, they’ve been shown so many times in 2 weeks.

The Jeremy Kyle Show is often on, but I can only watch that for 10 minutes or so before changing the channel. This is mostly because the people on the show tend to be a waste of airtime and what they’re arguing about is generally very materialistic and preventable if the people on the show were more considerate and thoughtful before jumping into bed with one another. I just get fed up of all the shouting and arguing over idiotic and pointless things.

Anyway. That’s beside the point.

On the rare occasion when mum lets me stay off school when I’m ill, the quality of the television shows make me feel worse, if anything. It’s normally Homes Under The Hammer on BBC1, Bargain Hunters on BBC2 and Jeremy Kyle on every ITV channel possible. Which leaves me with Dave, as repeats of Top Gear is pretty much the only show I can bear.

The holidays are far worse; it’s like being off ill for 2 weeks. Well, for me anyway. I think TV would be much better if there was more variety; that way people wouldn’t get so sick of the same shows, repeated over and over again.

Or maybe everyone else adores Dickinson’s Real Deal and it’s just me.

North Korea

I don’t really understand what’s going on with North Korea and the people who run it, but I know that it could very easily turn sour and possibly end in world destruction.

I know very little about the UK’s history with North Korea, and the same with the relationship between the USA and Korea, but I know we’re not the best of friends. In History, having studied the Cold War and the Korean War, I understand the battle with Communist and anti-Communist forces and the effect this has had on Russia, China, the US and many European countries in the past.

The Korean War, being the political battle between North and South essentially, also involved the UN (which was influenced mostly by the US Government), the US itself and the UK on South Korea’s side, with China and supposedly the USSR fighting with North Korea, although the USSR boycotted the UN and the war.

So, I’m guessing what’s happening now, 50 years on, is sort of the same; something political that people aren’t happy about.

But, we have nuclear weapons thrown in the mix. Back in 1950-53, General MacArthur openly threatened China and North Korea with nuclear weapons but he was removed from his position by President Truman, as this was out of order.

But now, there doesn’t seem to be anyone telling Kim Jong Un he’s been a bad boy. Some people think Kim Jong Un is testing the US and South Korean response to his threats while others believe North Korea has a secret weapon system that can destroy and neutralize Americas advanced military capability.

But, to be perfectly honest, I think Kim Jong Un should take a step back, a big step back. This could result in nuclear Armageddon; it’s not just a problem for the US, it’s for any countries within North Koreans ICBM range, which is a lot.

There’s always another way to sort things out, and I personally don’t understand what has provoked this uprising from within Korea. There probably is a reason, but I can’t shake the feeling that if there was a valid, genuine, realistic reason I would know about it.

I’m probably wrong and this article didn’t work because I don’t know enough but I’m not a big politics person… although I should probably be more bothered about this, seeing as it very slightly possibly the end of the world.